JOIN USBengal CM Mamata Banerjee brings up Vidyasagar’s bust vandalizing issue to target BJP
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday took potshots at the BJP without naming the party, accusing it of vandalising the statue of Bengal Renaissance icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in Kolkata during the last Lok Sabha elections.
In a series of tweets on the occasion of Vidyasagar’s 200th birth anniversary dubbed BJP as an “outsider” to Bengal.
Vidyasagar truly represents the pride of Bengal & serves as an inspiration to us till date. His bust was unfortunately desecrated in 2019 by certain outsiders, which only shows their disregard for Bengal’s legacy. However, his teachings are deeply inculcated in our values. (2/2)
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) September 26, 2020
Describing Vidyasagar as the “pride of Bengal”, she said that his bust was vandalised by some “outsiders” in 2019. She added that the act showed their (BJP’s) insensitivity towards the legacy of the state.
Mamata lauded Vidyasagar’s contribution to educational and social reform.
“Remembering great social reformer & educationist Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar on his 200th birth anniversary. He was a pioneer for Bangla language & drafted primer Barnaparichay. Also known as 'Dayar Sagar', he fought for widow remarriage, banning child marriage & polygamy,”(sic) she tweeted.
In May 2019, a bust of the iconic social reformer was vandalised at the premises of a college in Kolkata during Home Minister Amit Shah’s roadshow in the city. The incident resulted in a heated war of words between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) with both parties accusing each other.
Ever since the last Lok Sabha elections the TMC supremo have often dubbed BJP as an “outsider” who were trying to impose an alien culture to Bengal. Following the incident in 2019 TMC bagged all the nine seats which went to polls in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections and BJP drew a blank.